Nodding, I lay beside him, placing my head on his chest. He encircled me with his arm and gently began caressing my skin.
“I am, Kunwar-sa,” I muttered.
He inhaled sharply.“Naam se pukaara karo; hum bhi to tumhein tumhaare naam se pukaarte hain,”“Call me by my name; after all, I call you by yours too,” he said.
I shook my head.“Wives do not call husbands by their name,”
He lifted my face slightly to make me look at him.“Bhabhi-sa addresses Bhai-sa by his name,”
I sighed with a smile.“They’re different, Kunwar-sa,” I murmured, looking at the sky.“They’re not just husband and wife—they’re lovers. Two souls so entwined that there’s no line between them. They’re on a level no other couple can reach. Nothing can break them, because they may wake as a queen and king, but they always fall asleep as Rudra and Nandani. We’re not there yet, and maybe we never will be.”
He cupped my cheek, and I inhaled deeply at the warm, soothing touch.
“Trust me, Suman, we’re past all of that,” he whispered, locking his gaze with mine.
“The things that could've torn us apart have already happened. Our story may not have begun with love,but we’ve learned how to stand by each other through every high and low.And the best part of our relationship is that we know each other’s past. We understand each other’s insecurities. We know we’ll have endless arguments,but they’ll come from who we are, not from a lack of love. Even while being strong together, we know how to give each other space. We know how to laugh with each other, how to care for each other… And that’s what makes our relationship so real.We may not be the best couple out there, but what we are goes beyond those societal standards.We’re unbreakable, Suman,” he finished, and I placed a gentle kiss on his chest.
“Yes, we are,” I muttered and closed my eyes.
It felt serenely beautiful to enjoy the calm after the chaos. As he said, we were unbreakable—and we actually were. Nothing could break us because trust had taken root within us.
The year before was not an examination of his love, but a test of mine, to reveal how much I trusted him, and I felt I had succeeded.
“Should we sleep inside?” he asked leisurely, and I shook my head.
“It's not good to sleep together in the same bed before marriage, especially when everyone’s here in the palace. Let's just wait for that,” I replied.
He slowly pushed me aside.“Alright,” he muttered.“Let me bring the comforter and pillows here; it gets cold here at night.”
I nodded, lying on my back, watching him walk toward the bedroom.
This will be my chamber soon,I thought, raking my eyes around the place. I’d spend my days and nights here while he’d work, sleep, and eat. We wouldn’t need to meet in the dark, hiding from people.
My lips stretched into a contented smile, thinking about it.
When he returned, I stood up to help him lay the mattress on the carpet.
“You’re sleeping with me here, right?” he asked.
Once we had made the bed, I lay down, resting my head on the soft pillow, and he chuckled, adjusting the comforter.
“Ah, my love is looking like a princess, letting the husband work while resting peacefully,”
I smiled and opened my arms wide for him.“I’m tired from all the work today.”
He got under the comforter, nuzzled his face into my chest, and inhaled deeply. And I wrapped both my arms around his neck and closed my eyes, feeling warm in his embrace.
He drew the comforter over himself and closed his eyes.
To me, his weight felt comforting. I wanted to love him like no one ever had. To give him everything I had in me, everything I wished to give my husband, but could never.
I kept stroking his neck, playing with his soft curls until he fell asleep, and I too drifted into slumber.
?????
My eyes fluttered open at someone calling me.
“Suman,” I heard a low voice and felt a soft pat on my hand. I opened my eyes wide and looked at Nandani kneeling before me.“Get up, it’s morning,” she whispered.
